Jillian Hewitt represents plaintiffs and defendants in high stakes complex cases in state and federal courts throughout the country.  Ms. Hewitt’s practice spans a variety of subject matters, including class actions, securities litigation, civil rights law, and pharmaceutical litigation.

Working with Harry Susman and Vineet Bhatia, Ms. Hewitt intervened in the SEC’s action against digital music streaming service, Akazoo, securing $35 million settlement on behalf of a group of PIPE and SPAC investors over allegations that Akazoo defrauded them and lied about business prospects both before and after its 2019 special purpose acquisition company merger. The group represented by Susman Godfrey in the matter was awarded $30.1 million of the settlement ($25.3 million after fees and expenses). Read more.

Ms. Hewitt was part of a New York-based trial team that secured a pro bono win for New York University against FASORP, a Texas-based organization that alleged discrimination by the University and the NYU Law Review against straight white men.  Ms. Hewitt was one of the key drafters of NYU’s successful motion to dismiss all claims against it.  Click here for the Court’s order and read more about the decision here, here,* and here* (*subscription required).

Alongside New York partners Stephen Shackelford and Steven Shepard, Ms. Hewitt represented a private investment firm in a securities case against one of the nation’s largest hospital operators in R2 Investments LDC v. Quorum Health Corporation, et al.  The team obtained a favorable settlement after the depositions of Defendants’ fact witnesses.  Eight of those depositions were taken by Ms. Hewitt.

In Mayor & City Council of Baltimore v. Purdue Pharma et al., Ms. Hewitt represents the City of Baltimore in its opioid litigation.  Together with partner and head of the New York office Bill Carmody, Ms. Hewitt is working to hold the major manufacturers and distributors of prescription opioids responsible for the harm they’ve caused to the City, whose citizens are more likely to die from an opioid overdose than those of nearly any other city in the country.  Ms. Hewitt has argued nearly a dozen motions to dismiss the City’s ongoing case.

In In re: Lincoln National COI Litigation, Ms. Hewitt is working closely with Los Angeles partner Steven Sklaver serving as co-lead counsel to a putative class of purchasers of universal life insurance policies in an action challenging a cost of insurance increase by Lincoln.  Ms. Hewitt took the deposition of one of Lincoln’s key corporate representatives, obtaining critical technical information needed for the team to build its case.

In addition to her active docket, Ms. Hewitt serves as a member of the junior board of the Women’s Prison Association, a non-profit organization that provides resources and support to women at all stages of criminal justice involvement.  Ms. Hewitt’s work on behalf of WPA includes organizing and drafting content for fundraising and educational events.

Ms. Hewitt joined Susman Godfrey after clerking on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and on the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.  She graduated magna cum laude from Princeton University and earned her J.D. from Yale Law School.